The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-05-14
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
HOW CoNGREssAiEN yvAslIITlIENI.
I SELVES ATspuBLIC EXPENSE. q
I,Arber-shops and Dath.rooms In the Dasc.
ment Of tho Capitol-Eiaboratc Provision
+ Made for tho Additions OF Members
Aquatic Habits Businessmen.

IInrber-shops and Dath-rooms In the Dasc.
ment Of tho Capitol-Elaboratc Provision
Made for tho Additions OF Members
Aquatic Habits Businessmen.
81 copyrighted, ISL @
Had Il not been for Congressman lsea.
gnn's remarkable bath during tho vote on
tho tariff question tho majority Of the pco.
plcof the country would not perhaps have
known that such n thing ms bathing mp.
paralus existed In the Capitol Of the
United States. In both branches Of Con.
gross tho bath.tubs and barbcr.shops arc
one Of tho greatest conycnienccs givcn,to
members Tho House naturally,as It has
tho largest membership, has tho best ar!
rangcmcnt for cleanliness and the mem.
bcrs seem to take the greatest pleasure in
using II. ..,s5 l.. u
Senators are very exclusive in their use
Of the bathrooms, rs none but themselves
arc allowed TO bathe there. The House Is
more liberal. A member can give q bis
constituents tickets for a FREQ bath whcn-i
ever he wishes The employees Of the
House, abou. 800 In number, also have
bathing privileges, though their tubs
arc separate from those used by meme
bcrs OF tho House. When 4 member
wants 10 clean ono Of his constituents
he will npplyto tho chief clerk, Of tho.
House pfor n bath, ticket rand present
It TO his friend, and send him down to the
cellar where tho tubs are, and he will be
rubbed, bathcd and clcanscd In n, manner
uncxccllcd III this country
About eight years ugo the bathrooms
Of the House were on tho first floor in
one Of the small rooms now occupied by
the restaurant, but there being 80 many.
large members tho water splashcd over
tho floors and leaked through to tho floor
below making II damp; then Congress
decided to move tho whole establish
ment to the cellar. They occupy ono Of
The corners Of the building The elevator
goes to within a few feet Of the bathroom,
md member can get out and walk
to m ante-room, where he will find
an attendant waiting. Tho baths in
the House arc tho most luxurious.
Six rooms with various kinds and de-
vices Of bath.tubsi occupy one long
hall. These arc exclusively for members
and their friends. During tho sessions
three men arc employed especially to look
after the comforts of the congressman;
but during the recess only two arc there
daily. One Of the attendants is a chirop-
odist, and when member wants his feet
handled, or bunions cured, he need only
apply to him. Robert Richardson is tho
chief tonsorial artist. He has a deskiin
the hall, and registers every congressman
that comes there for the bath. Attn
far end OF The corridor Is what Is known
rs tho steam bath. 1t is small room
having IN ordinary wooden 4 lounge
with opcn.work wicker pillow. The
member Is placed on this and hot air
turned on, and his body, is thus we'll
steamed. The ordinary process of the
Turkish bathis then followed.
The next room is a large comfortably
carpetcd apartment with a gigantic mar
bic bath tub. This tub occupies one side Of
the room, and will accommodate the
largest congressman with ease. The man
who weighed the most in Congress last
session was Barnes, of Georgia, and he
would appear a mere minnow in this tub
such'littlc men rs Boyle, of Pennsylvania,
and Lawlcr,of Chicago, would be lost in it.
The next room has similar marble bath.
tub, but.not quite as large. The third room
is smaller and has an ordinary wooden tub
with zinc lining. This is for the little
men of the House, and If Ben Lie Fcvrc,
Of Ohio,or Reagan, of Texas, attempted to
get in it they would find it impossible.
The. fourth room has a porcelain tub
quite large, and in this room Congress.
man Reagan had his famous bath. 8 The
lifthroom has q wooden bath-tub, with
porcelain lining and is quite n favoritc
with some members Adjojning This cor.
ridor; is another onewith five bathrooms.
They arc small and Of the kind ordinar.
lily seen in lighthouses and in barber
shops: These arc used only by the en-
ployees of the House.
A member If he wishes bath can have
one Of the attendants to scrub, battle and
rub him down. Often when a congress-
man has been out over, night and feels
nervous and shaky, if he goes down, in
the morning and takes steam bath and
then gets one of the attendants to put
him in the marble tub and let him soak,
when he comes out he would be as fresh
as daisy: without tho least taint of ncr.
vousncss or midnight pleasure. Rooms
with the marble bath-tub of course arc
the fayoritcs with the congressman. Dur
ing the session it is not an uncommon
sight on Friday, and Saturday Of each
week TO notice, at least eight or ten con.
gressmcn sitting in the antc.rooms watt
ing their turns for the bath. Some of
them will wait an hour or even two
hours for their turn in one Of the marble
bath-tubs. 4 30 55g.=
It will interest some no doubt to know
that the United States imported these
two large tubs at a cost of $175 each:
They have become such fayoritcs that the
attendants of,the bathrooms expect Com
sress next session to pass a,bill importing
Three more totilluptheo therrooms. Gen.
orally when % congressman wants a con-
'titucnt ito cnjoyxthe: luxurics of n con-,
srcssional bath no will let him occupy
onc of the smaller rooms, and take tho
marble bath himself. It. has become
quite afeature for congressman 10 give
heir constituents, when they come 10
own, bathing tickets; and 1t Is said that
ono congressman received a renomina..
ionfor thus treating n large number of
ais most influential friends from his dis
,rict.r Tho member who seemed to enjoy
;he bathrooms the most last session was
ong, lank4 Laffoon, of Kentucky.R He
@me every morning regularly, aud took
irst!a stcam,bath iand;then swim in the
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